Ohio State called Thursday to invite Hawkins to make an unofficial visit this weekend, and he happily accepted. Attending the Buckeyes’ football game today is part of the itinerary.
“I’ve been waiting forever for that call. ... Ohio State is my dream school,” he said.
Ranked 141st on the Rivals.com top-150 prospects in the 2012 class, Hawkins hasn’t been promised a scholarship by OSU, but UD and Cincinnati have made offers.
He’s attended a few Flyers games, including a Xavier clash, and hasn’t ruled out staying home for college.
“I like Dayton,” said Hawkins, who plans to wait until his senior year to make a decision. “I like the coaches. It’s a real cool campus, and I like the atmosphere at games. It’s live. People are amped up.”
UD has four full rides to give in the 2012 class and appears to be in good shape on two other juniors:
• Cameron Fowler, a 6-1 point guard from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, said the Flyers are at the top of his list.
He also has offers from Detroit Mercy and Central Michigan. He’s scheduled to visit Butler this weekend and has already been to UD twice.
“I like the atmosphere, and they have nice facilities,” he said. “I like the vibe. It’s like family.”
The Flyers have an ally in Jesuit coach Pat Donnelly, who said: “Cameron’s style of play would fit in well with Dayton’s style of play. ... It’s a good fit all the way around, and I have a lot of trust in the coaching staff.”
Fowler has heard that speech before.
“Actually, Coach told me back before they offered that he thinks I’d fit in well at Dayton,” he said. “He’s always telling me that.”
• Sherron Dorsey-Walker, a 6-4 shooting guard from Detroit Pershing High School, also has UD as his early favorite despite an extensive offer list that includes Baylor, Indiana and Drake. Michigan also has expressed interest.
He spent a day at UD about a month ago and hopes to be back for an official visit before his season starts.
The pick-up games with UD players left an impression on Dorsey-Walker.
“It was pretty intense,” he said. “I can imagine how the games must be.”
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